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I'm reading Seven Pillars of Wisdom now, as you may know, due to a flare up of T.E. Lawrence affection prompted by the Cinerama's annual showing. One of the things that fascinates me about Lawrence is that no matter how complex the film's character was--which was got me initially--once I started looking beyond the film I found someone who wasn't
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Now I ask you: is that not one of the most beautiful tributes to comradely passion? From one so abused and broken, sexually, it's remarkably sympathetic.
It is. I read a fascinating discussion of Lawrence's sexuality, wherein someone tried to claim this as support for the retroactive "Lawrence is gay" school of thought, which is far too simplistic and rather misses the point.
I can't wait to read The Mint, in general. I'm far "behind" in all this. But I do think it fascinating, what Bolt drew out to create his own great character, and the parallels that are there. How do you adapt SPW? How do you even portray TEL? How can you hope to capture something so contradictory and second-guessing and multi-faceted?
The second part I quoted kills me. The rawness of it. Not the language, but the psychological. I had not read that about his faith. I really cannot wait to read that.
I'm also chuckling (and wincing) over the rampant racism, of the sort one sees in most everything pre-PC days: the kind that doesn't think it's being cruel, but generalizes about race and creed in a way that seems laughable today. What's odd is that some of his observations about the political and social situations are so apt and sharp, but they are presented as racial characteristics.
I had not, as yet, been apprised of the last line of the book, which I had heard was lovely. Indeed it is.
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Yes. The point is more his acceptance of human variety, and his acuity as a leader of fighting men.
I could give a hang what the answer is. It disturbs me that the argument is often framed as "he's one of US!" vs "how dare you accuse him of being gay?"
The most distressing argument out there, which I saw mentioned in that thread, is that since (as he confesses) he ejaculated during a gang rape, he is therefore gay gay gay.
Tragically, what he didn't know is that arousal and ejaculation is a common reaction in male rape victims (o treacherous prostate). Imagine him spending the remainder of his short life reliving those hours and drawing the apparently obvious conclusion.
Surprisingly, his brief descriptions of sexual activity --SPW, his letters, and particular his translation of The Forest Giant-- are almost swooningly erotic. The phrase hits you from nowhere, and is gone, leaving you wondering if you really read that from his pen.
If you love the part about the madness and the veils, then oh wow, you're going to love some stuff later in the book when he really loses his shit. He's so honest about it; it's humbling.
I'd be interested to know what you make of The Mint. People have trouble with it because it's not pretty like The Seven Pillars. SPW is a bouquet with thorns, but The Mint is a diamond, hard, sharp, and brilliant. I love it.
Have you read his letters? God, so gorgeous, so telling. He can't write a bad sentence, even just to say he'll be over on Saturday night. His passionate, disastrous friendship with Robert Graves is worthy of its own movie.
Sorry to spoil the last line for you: thought you'd read another edition before. :-/
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